2026-04-17T14:15:44Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/requestoai:recercat.cat:20.500.14342/6352025-05-15T13:17:04Zcom_2072_482405com_2072_183628col_2072_482410
RECERCAT
author
Sabaté Gauxachs, Alba
author
Albalad Aiguabella, José María
author
Diez-Bosch, Miriam
2021
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/635
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12050311
COVID-19 has driven several global offline communities to go online. Restrictions to the
free movement of people in response to the coronavirus pandemic triggered a profound rethinking
of jobs, products and services, and among them, the activities of religious communities, which are
well consolidated in the offline sphere. In Spain, since the lockdown established by the government
in March 2020, the Catholic Church has reinvented its activity, as all the churches and other places
of worship have been closed. This constituted a considerable challenge, considering the history
and dynamics of the institution. This paper aims to analyze how Catholicism, as one of the most
consolidated offline communities, reworked its communication, going online in a matter of days. With
this objective, researchers surveyed each and every one of the 70 Spanish dioceses, taking them as
representatives of the global Catholic community in the country. Their responses are complemented
with an in-depth interview with the Director of Communications at the Spanish Conference of
Bishops. The results highlight the huge and unprecedented step towards the digitalization of the
community through consistent, creative and efficient action. New methods, platforms and languages
have been implemented, even broadening community membership. Despite an offline essence that is
still detected in some decisions, this pandemic has brought a new communicative paradigm to the
Spanish Catholic community. Digitalization has been consolidated whilst preserving the best aspects
of direct contact and action
eng
Attribution 4.0 International © L'autor/a
COVID-19 (Malaltia)
Pandèmia de COVID-19, 2020-
Espanya
Església Catòlica
Comunicacions digitals
Coronavirus-Driven Digitalization of In-Person Communities. Analysis of the Catholic Church Online Response in Spain during the Pandemic
info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion